SIUE Rooftop Vegetable Garden Seeks Crowdfunding Support

February 24, 2014, 10:13 AM

People around the world have the opportunity to contribute to a vegetable rooftop garden project at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. An SIUE collaborative research team is seeking financial support for the project by garnering donations via online crowdfunding.

The project team has posted the Veggie Rooftop Garden project on superiorideas.org to initially raise $8,100 from the community to support the students working on the project.

Led by Susan Morgan, professor of civil engineering and associate dean of the SIUE Graduate School, and Bill Retzlaff, professor of biological sciences and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, the project will establish a vegetable garden on the patio rooftop of the Morris University Center.

“The concept builds upon the notion of using “green roof” technology for a sustainable approach to stormwater management and energy consumption, while studying the effects of using a waste product in a growth medium,” Morgan said. “But above that, the garden will provide learning and job experiences for both graduate and undergraduate students.”

Students will learn about green roof technology and vegetable production. All produce will be used by SIUE Dining Services or donated to initiatives such as The Campus Kitchen at SIUE, which keeps food from going to waste while feeding those in need. SIUE recently received a $5,000 grant sponsored by The Campus Kitchens Project Inc. to open a local Campus Kitchen.

The collaborative effort is part of the SIUE’s Green Roof Environmental Evaluation Network (G.R.E.E.N.). In this project, G.R.E.E.N. is partnering with Filtrexx, St. Louis Composting and Illinois American Water to install the vegetable rooftop garden.

Funds will go to support the work of an undergraduate student and a graduate student on the project. It is hoped that by raising many small donations from a large network of donors, the project can reach its funding goal quickly. Those interested in providing donations to the project may easily submit their donations, however small, to Superior Ideas, a crowdfunding site owned by Michigan Technological University.

Photo: Site of the proposed vegetable rooftop garden at SIUE’s Morris University Center.